Uninsured New Jersey couple, refused medical treatment in Bahamas while on vacation, come home after emergency funds raised

A New Jersey couple who were seriously injured in a scooter accident while on vacation in the Bahamas this week - and who were refused medical treatment by Bahamian and Miami hospitals - were flown home on Friday to Hackensack University Medical Center, according to a report published by Northjersey.com.

Diandra Barreto and Michael Gallinella of Woodbridge were riding on a rented scooter when they crashed on the tropical island on Sunday.

Barreto, 24, had a dislocated leg, several spine fractures and a lacerated liver which may have been bleeding internally for six days. Gallinella, 36, had broken ribs, a punctured lung and a possible neck injury.

But both were stuck in a hospital in the Bahamas for nearly a week because two hospitals refused to treat the uninsured couple, friends and relatives said.

Fundraising by local businesses, family and friends, and a federal emergency loan, mustered thousands of dollars.

Both patients were flown back to New Jersey for $22,000 and taken to Hackensack University Medical Center for treatment, people close to the couple explained.